diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/runtime.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/runtime.rs
index 1954f09a5b..f807726140 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/runtime.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/runtime.rs
@@ -502,6 +502,11 @@ pub fn spawn_agent_child(
     command.env("SPROUT_ACP_AGENTS", record.parallelism.to_string());
     command.env("SPROUT_ACP_MULTIPLE_EVENT_HANDLING", "owner-interrupt");
     command.env("SPROUT_ACP_DEDUP", "queue");
+    // Desktop-managed channel agents should answer explicit @mentions from any
+    // channel member, not just the human who created the local process. The ACP
+    // harness still requires mention matching by default, so this does not make
+    // agents react to ordinary channel chatter.
+    command.env("SPROUT_ACP_RESPOND_TO", "anyone");
     command.env(
         "GOOSE_MODE",
         std::env::var("GOOSE_MODE").unwrap_or_else(|_| "auto".to_string()),
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/relay.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/relay.rs
index d4ec4bc898..5586fd7cd5 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/relay.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/relay.rs
@@ -327,10 +327,38 @@ where
         return Err(relay_error_message(response).await);
     }
 
-    response
-        .json::<T>()
+    let status = response.status();
+    let url = response.url().clone();
+    let content_type = response
+        .headers()
+        .get(reqwest::header::CONTENT_TYPE)
+        .and_then(|value| value.to_str().ok())
+        .unwrap_or("unknown")
+        .to_string();
+    let body = response
+        .bytes()
         .await
-        .map_err(|error| format!("parse failed: {error}"))
+        .map_err(|error| format!("read response body failed: {error}"))?;
+
+    serde_json::from_slice::<T>(&body).map_err(|error| {
+        let snippet = String::from_utf8_lossy(&body)
+            .chars()
+            .take(240)
+            .collect::<String>()
+            .replace(['\n', '\r', '\t'], " ")
+            .trim()
+            .to_string();
+
+        if content_type.contains("text/html") && snippet.contains("Cloudflare Access") {
+            return format!(
+                "relay returned Cloudflare Access sign-in instead of JSON for {url}. Check the active workspace token or Cloudflare/WARP access."
+            );
+        }
+
+        format!(
+            "parse failed: {error}; relay returned {status} {content_type} for {url}: {snippet}"
+        )
+    })
 }
 
 pub async fn send_empty_request(request: reqwest::RequestBuilder) -> Result<(), String> {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/BotActivityBar.tsx b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/BotActivityBar.tsx
index ad21aaff63..9f488540f5 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/BotActivityBar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/BotActivityBar.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 
-import { Bot, Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
+import { Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
 
 import type { UserProfileLookup } from "@/features/profile/lib/identity";
 import type { ManagedAgent } from "@/shared/api/types";
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { Popover, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/popover";
 import { UserAvatar } from "@/shared/ui/UserAvatar";
 
 const AGENT_LIST_HEIGHT_ESTIMATE_PX = 220;
+const MAX_INLINE_AGENT_AVATARS = 3;
 
 type BotActivityBarProps = {
   agents: ManagedAgent[];
@@ -96,8 +97,9 @@ export function BotActivityBar({
     : null;
   const label =
     typingAgents.length === 1
-      ? "1 active agent"
-      : `${typingAgents.length} active agents`;
+      ? typingAgents[0]?.name
+      : `${typingAgents[0]?.name ?? "Agent"} +${typingAgents.length - 1}`;
+  const visibleInlineAgents = typingAgents.slice(0, MAX_INLINE_AGENT_AVATARS);
 
   return (
     <div className="min-w-0" data-testid="bot-activity-bar">
@@ -118,7 +120,24 @@ export function BotActivityBar({
             onPointerLeave={scheduleCloseAgentList}
             type="button"
           >
-            <Bot className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0" />
+            <div className="flex shrink-0 items-center">
+              {visibleInlineAgents.map((agent, index) => (
+                <div
+                  className={cn(index > 0 && "-ml-1.5")}
+                  key={agent.pubkey}
+                  style={{ zIndex: visibleInlineAgents.length - index }}
+                >
+                  <UserAvatar
+                    avatarUrl={
+                      profiles?.[agent.pubkey.toLowerCase()]?.avatarUrl ?? null
+                    }
+                    className="rounded-full border border-background shadow-none"
+                    displayName={agent.name}
+                    size="xs"
+                  />
+                </div>
+              ))}
+            </div>
             <span className="min-w-0 truncate">{label}</span>
             <Loader2 className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0 animate-spin opacity-60" />
           </button>
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
index 75da235df1..e5e9a491a5 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/features/agents/hooks";
 import { useChannelMembersQuery } from "@/features/channels/hooks";
 import type { MentionSuggestion } from "@/features/messages/ui/MentionAutocomplete";
-import type { ChannelMember } from "@/shared/api/types";
+import type { ChannelMember, UserProfileSummary } from "@/shared/api/types";
 import { detectPrefixQuery } from "@/shared/lib/detectPrefixQuery";
 import { trimMapToSize } from "@/shared/lib/trimMapToSize";
 import { hasMention } from "./hasMention";
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const MENTION_DEBOUNCE_MS = 120;
 export function useMentions(
   channelId: string | null,
   externalMembers?: ChannelMember[],
+  profiles?: Record<string, UserProfileSummary>,
 ) {
   const [mentionQuery, setMentionQuery] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
   const [mentionStartIndex, setMentionStartIndex] = React.useState(0);
@@ -49,15 +50,35 @@ export function useMentions(
     }
     return lookup;
   }, [managedAgentsQuery.data, personasQuery.data]);
+  const profileNamesByPubkey = React.useMemo(() => {
+    const lookup = new Map<string, string>();
+    for (const [pubkey, profile] of Object.entries(profiles ?? {})) {
+      const name = profile.displayName?.trim() || profile.nip05Handle?.trim();
+      if (name) {
+        lookup.set(pubkey.toLowerCase(), name);
+      }
+    }
+    return lookup;
+  }, [profiles]);
+
+  const resolveMentionName = React.useCallback(
+    (member: ChannelMember) => {
+      const pubkeyLower = member.pubkey.toLowerCase();
+      return (
+        member.displayName ??
+        managedAgentNamesByPubkey.get(pubkeyLower) ??
+        profileNamesByPubkey.get(pubkeyLower)
+      );
+    },
+    [managedAgentNamesByPubkey, profileNamesByPubkey],
+  );
 
   const knownNames = React.useMemo<string[]>(() => {
     if (!members) return [];
     const names: string[] = [];
     const seen = new Set<string>();
     for (const member of members) {
-      const name =
-        member.displayName ??
-        managedAgentNamesByPubkey.get(member.pubkey.toLowerCase());
+      const name = resolveMentionName(member);
       if (name) {
         names.push(name);
         seen.add(name.toLowerCase());
@@ -70,7 +91,7 @@ export function useMentions(
       }
     }
     return names;
-  }, [members, managedAgentNamesByPubkey, personaNameByPubkey]);
+  }, [members, personaNameByPubkey, resolveMentionName]);
 
   /** Lower-cased version of knownNames, used for case-insensitive prefix matching. */
   const knownNamesLower = React.useMemo<string[]>(
@@ -123,8 +144,7 @@ export function useMentions(
       .map((member) => {
         const pubkeyLower = member.pubkey.toLowerCase();
 
-        const actualName =
-          member.displayName ?? managedAgentNamesByPubkey.get(pubkeyLower);
+        const actualName = resolveMentionName(member);
         const personaName = personaNameByPubkey.get(pubkeyLower) ?? null;
         const label = actualName ?? member.pubkey.slice(0, 8);
 
@@ -155,7 +175,7 @@ export function useMentions(
         role: member.role === "admin" ? "admin" : null,
         personaName,
       }));
-  }, [managedAgentNamesByPubkey, members, mentionQuery, personaNameByPubkey]);
+  }, [members, mentionQuery, personaNameByPubkey, resolveMentionName]);
 
   const isMentionOpen = mentionQuery !== null && suggestions.length > 0;
 
@@ -236,9 +256,7 @@ export function useMentions(
         if (pubkeys.includes(member.pubkey)) {
           continue;
         }
-        const name =
-          member.displayName ??
-          managedAgentNamesByPubkey.get(member.pubkey.toLowerCase());
+        const name = resolveMentionName(member);
         if (name && hasMention(text, name)) {
           pubkeys.push(member.pubkey);
         }
@@ -246,7 +264,7 @@ export function useMentions(
 
       return [...new Set(pubkeys)];
     },
-    [members, managedAgentNamesByPubkey],
+    [members, resolveMentionName],
   );
 
   const clearMentions = React.useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposer.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposer.tsx
index 3a5380a822..ff5fd32042 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposer.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposer.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/features/messages/lib/normalizeMentionClipboard";
 import { useRichTextEditor } from "@/features/messages/lib/useRichTextEditor";
 import { useTypingBroadcast } from "@/features/messages/useTypingBroadcast";
+import type { UserProfileLookup } from "@/features/profile/lib/identity";
 import { Button } from "@/shared/ui/button";
 import { ChannelAutocomplete } from "./ChannelAutocomplete";
 import { ComposerAttachments } from "./ComposerAttachments";
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ type MessageComposerProps = {
     mediaTags?: string[][],
   ) => Promise<void>;
   placeholder?: string;
+  profiles?: UserProfileLookup;
   replyTarget?: {
     author: string;
     body: string;
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ export function MessageComposer({
   onEditSave,
   onSend,
   placeholder,
+  profiles,
   replyTarget = null,
   typingParentEventId = null,
   typingRootEventId = null,
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@ export function MessageComposer({
   const effectiveDraftKey = draftKey ?? channelId;
   const previousDraftKeyRef = React.useRef<string | null>(null);
 
-  const mentions = useMentions(channelId);
+  const mentions = useMentions(channelId, undefined, profiles);
   const channelLinks = useChannelLinks();
   const emojiAutocomplete = useEmojiAutocomplete();
   const notifyTyping = useTypingBroadcast(
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
index 3d2eb028b2..2b3afcd8d9 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageThreadPanel.tsx
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ export function MessageThreadPanel({
           onEditSave={onEditSave}
           onSend={onSend}
           placeholder={`Reply in thread to ${threadHead.author}`}
+          profiles={profiles}
           replyTarget={composerReplyTarget}
           typingParentEventId={threadHead.id}
           typingRootEventId={threadHead.rootId}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
index 6a9d48395e..8205ef0b3f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/TimelineMessageList.tsx
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export const TimelineMessageList = React.memo(function TimelineMessageList({
           renderedTrailingContent = true;
           elements.push(
             <div
-              className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-3"
+              className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1.5"
               data-testid="message-thread-summary-with-footer"
               key={`thread-summary-with-footer-${message.id}`}
             >